


Love of Sleep

by ValkyrieShepard



Category: Hades (Video Game 2018)
Genre: Anal Sex, Brother/Brother Incest, Frottage, Guilt, Incest, M/M, Masturbation, PWP, Rutting, Smut, Somnophilia
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-04
Updated: 2020-11-04
Packaged: 2021-03-09 01:14:41
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,897
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27386275
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ValkyrieShepard/pseuds/ValkyrieShepard
Summary: Thanatos is frustrated with his brother, who just can't seem to take his job seriously. When he ends up making him cry, Thanatos learns that he can only say what he truly means when Hypnos is asleep. And do other things with him.
Relationships: Hypnos/Thanatos, Hypnos/Thanatos (Hades Video Game), Thanatos/Hypnos, Thanatos/Hypnos (Hades Video Game)
Comments: 10
Kudos: 154





	Love of Sleep

Thanatos found himself tensing each time he arrived at the House of Hades. His gaze involuntarily wandered to his brother, checking up on him and his work - he couldn’t help himself. They had a duty to this house, the two of them, and his brother was so utterly frustrating. He did not understand how important their work was, and what it meant to offend Lord Hades, or disappoint their mother.

It always seemed like Hypnos just did not care.

He knew what his brother was the god of, though often it seemed he should not be called a god. What did he do, really? Not his job, that was for sure, and even when he did it, it was agonisingly slow to the point where the vein on Lord Hades’ forehead kept standing out. But here he was again, sleeping. Sleeping! While rows of shades waited to be processed.

Zagreus did not help by putting a chaise lounge right there so Hypnos had even more incentive to sleep when he had a place to lay down. He should really have a word with him about that too. Zagreus had his own goals but he shouldn’t make things difficult for everyone else while he was at it.

Thanatos sighed, and floated over to his brother. He didn’t even have the courtesy of waking up. Perhaps he was too quiet.

With a loud ‘clang’, his scythe hit the stone floor underneath him, and Hypnos startled awake.

“I’m up, I’m up!,” he called out. His eyes slowly settled on him and that ever present smile appeared on his face. “Oh it’s you! I’m always glad to see you!”

“Hmph.” He looked down at his brother, still sitting on the soft pillows. The list in his hand was upside down and Thanatos could see that his script was surprisingly neat. “Hypnos, we have talked about this. You cannot continue to sleep on the job like this.”

“I was just taking a break. You said I could take breaks.”

“A break, really, that what it was?,” he raised an eyebrow but Hypnos nodded. “So then did you do as I asked? To organise yourself?”

“I- I was going to-,” Hypnos hastily reached under a pillow and pulled out another list. “Here, the list for my lists and me!”

“Let me see- Hypnos it’s blank!”

Thanatos could feel the stress rise in him, the frustration. It seemed as if Hypnos was doing this on purpose, trying to get a rise out of him maybe?! He didn’t want to glance to the right, where Lord Hades was sitting, surely overhearing every word. But he could feel his eyes on him nonetheless. One of these days Hypnos was going to suffer the consequences of his incompetence.

“Well you interrupted my break!,” Hypnos tried to justify himself. “Naturally I was going to start on it now.”

“Well let me see you do it.” He crossed his arms, Scythe trapped between them and his chest.

“I… what?”

“Let. Me see. You do it,” he repeated.

“I- I don’t know if I like anyone watching me make lists it’s… Personal.”

“Hypnos you’re ridiculous!,” Thanatos blurted out. His brother really knew how to get him agitated. “You know how important this job is.”

“L-Let me do it, please,” Hypnos seemed to have shrunk after Thanatos’ outburst. “I will do it. Now.”

He hastily began to scribble things, even under Thanatos’ watch. For a moment he continued to watch, making sure that Hypnos was actually doing his work. The first list was quickly finished, and Hypnos glanced at him before he called forth the next shade. Thanatos gave him a brief nod, and realised he was already falling behind again, just because of him.

“I have to go, I have my own work to do,” he said sternly. “Next time you take a break, go to your room. And when you’re here you do. Not. Sleep. Understood?”

Hypnos nodded meekly.

“Hypnos.”

“Yes, yes I understand,” he said quickly. Thanatos could see it in his eyes, he was already getting sleepy again. Taking his arm roughly, he made sure Hypnos stood up from his lounge and at least floated on his own.

“Don’t let me see you sleeping here again.”

Hypnos nodded again before turning to the shade, and when he talked, he was stammering. But at least he was doing something. With a perpetual frown on his face, Thanatos shifted away, to the next mortal he had to take. Behind schedule, because of his brother. Again.

He tried to remain calm when he was with the mortals. A lot of them were confused or afraid when he took them, and he had always thought that death should be something peaceful. It was why he did not take those that died through violent means. Often it was the old and frail, and they just needed a calm guiding hand to make their way to the underworld.

In sadder moments, it was the young and hopeful. Like the man whose brain had a clot inside. Happy one moment, dead the next, with half his life still ahead of him. Those were typically the kind of mortals that would be angry. Not this time though.

The shade sat next to the body where it had collapsed. Thanatos had arrived late and he suppressed the anger he felt at the reason for it. The man shouldn’t have had to be alone for a second.

He turned to Thanatos and he saw the translucent skin, once tanned from farm work, the see through curls, once blonde from the sun. He had a handsome face, surely popular with people his age.

“I am not done with my chores,” the shade said. He looked so sad.

“Someone else will take care of them now,” Thanatos tried to reassure him. He was not always the best at this. Sometimes he felt that if he said nothing at all, it was the most reassuring. Just the presence of someone taking them for the final journey.

“But I… but I…”

Thanatos knew that the shade could only see through a haze around him, that the details of the mortal world were now almost completely hidden from him. But he noticed the voices, sounding as if they were far away. The people coming to check up on him. The woman crying in agony over his dead body.

“Mother…?”

Thanatos put a hand on the shade’s shoulder.

“Come now, we have to go.”

“I didn’t thank her for breakfast,” the shade continued. “How… how would she know that I liked it?”

This was dangerous. If the shade started to spiral, it could become troublesome. In very rare cases, shades were unable to go to the underworld, transforming into something different. Dangerous things harming other mortals. Thanatos couldn’t let that happen.

He walked around the shade, his body blocking him from view of his own corpse.

“Look at me,” he said, commanding. The shade did, it was a good sign. “You know who I am?”

“D-Death? … Thanatos.”

“Yes. You are not the first to come with me and you are not the last,” his words seemed to shock the shade for a moment, but he had a point. “Trust me when I say that she knows.”

“She really does?,” he asked. Spectral tears rolled down his cheeks.

Thanatos nodded, trying not to look too intimidating, rather - understanding. The shade seemed to be relieved, and when Thanatos stood and held out his hand, the shade took it. In his pocket, Thanatos now noticed the familiar weight of two coins that had been placed over his eyes. They were quick, his family.

Together they took a few steps away, and Thanatos reached out to him again. He didn’t know what it was about the youth that got to him this time. He was usually good about closing himself off from the tragedies of the mortals. He did this every day, if he let it affect him, how would he get anything done? His heart would not survive the job.

Every so often though. This young farmer, struck down just like this, with so much still left to look forward to. Who cared so much about his mother knowing that he loved her. Something just got to him, and when it was time to make the transition, Thanatos decided to hold him close.

As the comforting darkness surrounded them, the shade looked up at him. The last bit of blue in his eyes was fading away to the familiar shade of green.

“I never loved, you know,” he told Thanatos. “I thought I still had time.”

Thanatos tried to not let anything show. Love. He hardly knew the concept.

Together they floated through darkness, and the youth briefly let his head rest on Thanatos’ shoulder. An idea formed in his mind. A foolish idea, one he would regret later on. Nevertheless when they found themselves on the shores of Styx and Charon was waiting for them, Thanatos very gently placed the shade into the boat. Soon enough his handsome features would be gone, like all the others. Absentmindedly he pressed the two coins into Charon’s hand.

“You’re at peace now,” Thanatos told the shade, floating just above him. He reached out to cup his chin, made him look up. “It may not be much, but let the kiss of death accompany your memories.”

The shades eyes widened a little, then fluttered closed as Thanatos leaned in for the kiss. A rather chaste one that he pressed to the cool yet soft lips, but one that he let linger for a while, so that the shade could remember.

When he turned away, he did not look at his brother. Just listened to the sound of the boat leaving and sighed to himself. What was it his business if a mortal’s life had been cut short? It happened all the time. Why was this one different?

Why did his heart still sometimes ache?

He pushed this thought deep, deep down. There was more work to do and it had to be done now, he couldn’t let them wait anymore. The next mortals he took care of quickly, making sure that there was no unnecessary body contact, no unnecessary talking. To him, it did not matter what or why or who. They were the dead and he was there to bring them over.

Days must have passed before he had a moment to breathe again. It was time to return to the house and maybe take some of those illicit goods Zagreus had given him. They were sure to muddle the memory and help him keep going. His first stop though was his brother’s station… which was empty.

Startled at first, Thanatos remembered his own words. Breaks in his own room, and no sleeping out in the open. There was only a small line of shades right now, so to make sure Hypnos was doing everything correctly, he went to his chambers.

He didn’t knock before he went inside, sighing at the sight of it. His scythe leaned against the wall, and he inspected the mess that were his chambers. Clothes and blankets everywhere, except for a desk that had neatly stacked parchments on it and nothing else but writing utensils. So odd.

It was easier to float over the mess rather than walk, so he did so and found Hypnos in the other mess which would be called his bed if there was any sign of a mattress underneath all those pillows and blankets. His brother looked like some sort of rolled up food perhaps, with his sleep mask firmly over his eyes. A gentle rise and fall of his chest could be seen.

Thanatos watched for a moment before he decided to float over to the desk. What he hadn’t seen before were the piles of parchment that were discarded to the side, some of them scrunched into balls. He carefully reached out, tried not to wake his brother as he inspected them. Some had mistakes that had been crossed out and therefore been tossed aside. Some were his lists that organised himself.

_Not good enough,_ said one of Hypnos’ notes.

_.Not good enough. Not good enough. Not good enough._ Over and over.

_Not good enough for Thanatos._

Thanatos’ heart dropped at the mention of his own name. From what seemed to be a more recent list, he realised parts of the parchment… were wet. And his heart sank even further.

He turned quickly to see that Hypnos had turned around in his sleep as well, mask still on, but his body shaking slightly. Did Hypnos know he was here? His whole body stiffened up, trying not to make a sound.

“I’m sorry,” came the muffled voice of his brother. He was clearly crying. “This isn’t good enough either.”

Thanatos realised that under the blankets was a soft light, and the scratching of quill on parchment. He had woken up to make another list.

“He will be so mad,” he muttered to himself. The quill fell and the palms of Hypnos’ hands came to press against his eyes. “I’m trying. I really am. I’m so sleepy all the time.”

He was muttering to himself and Thanatos’ heart utterly broke. He never… he never meant to make Hypnos feel this bad! He was just trying to get him to take his job seriously. But seeing all the stacks of parchment and the many attempts… maybe he was. And he just hadn’t seen it.

“Just so sleepy. Sorry Than, I can’t help it anymore…”

Frozen with the shock of this realisation he couldn’t do anything but watch his brother cry and sniffle, write and scratch out things before he eventually stilled once again. Asleep? Thanatos finally floated a little closer. The sleep mask had been pulled over his eyes again, but there were streaks of tears over his cheeks.

He had been wrong. He had been too mean. Thanatos sighed. And sat on the edge of his bed. His brother seemed to be back in his deep sleep, where he couldn’t be disturbed. Thanatos knew these phases too well. For a long time Thanatos envied him about them, Hypnos seemed to always find his own peace eventually, while he tossed and turned with his responsibilities in mind.

But the time where they had shared a bed was long gone. Suddenly his heart ached for them once more.

His hand came to Hypnos’ shoulder. His skin was warm from being under the blankets, and where he had moved, his robe and slipped all the way up to his chest. Thanatos could see a sliver of his belly, and a soft blush crept into his cheeks.

“I’m sorry, Hypnos,” he whispered. It was so difficult to say when he was awake. But now… “I shouldn’t have been so strict with you.. You’re trying. I’m… sorry.”

He held his breath when Hypnos shifted again, letting it out gently when he realised his brother was still asleep. Not wanting to risk him waking up again, Thanatos teleported silently out of the room, making his way to the balcony of the west hall, where he sat on the chairs Zagreus had commissioned for him. Some wine was stationed here, and he filled a cup just to drain it. Another was soon in his hand.

“Rough day?,” Zagreus’ voice drew him to turn around. There he was, a drop of blood running down his cheek before it vanished. He came to sit next to him.

“Days,” Thanatos corrected him.

“Oh really? I’m sorry, mate,” Zagreus poured himself a cup of wine too, clinked it unenthusiastically against Thanatos’. “Want to talk about it?”

Thanatos shook his head slightly. How would he even explain? Whatever he felt right now… it was complicated. The shade lingered in his memory, and he felt awful about how strict he had been to Hypnos. And there was another thought in his mind.

“Should I leave?,” Zagreus asked gently.

“No I… I would like to sit for a moment, if that’s okay.”

“Of course.”

For a moment the two of them sat together in silence, nursing their cups of wine. Thanatos stared into it for a while longer, then he heard the door behind him open, soft footsteps on the cold floor. Hypnos walking instead of floating, his feet bare.

Zagreus had turned too, as if to try and not let Thanatos notice. Out of his periphery he could see him mouthing something towards Hypnos, gesturing too.

“How does he look?,” Thanatos asked.

“Oh uh erm…,” Zagreus had been found out. “Looks… normal? What do you mean?”

“Just… it’s nothing,” he ended lamely.

Another moment of silence.

“You’re really harsh with him,” Zagreus told him.

“I know. He-”

“He’s trying. I don’t think he wants to sleep all the time.”

Thanatos huffed. Hypnos loved to sleep, he knew that better than anyone. Though there may be some truth to Zagreus’ words.

“I just think that… maybe… If you tried an approach that is a little less harsh.” Zagreus was looking at him, but Thanatos refused to. “He really adores you.”

He felt the tips of his ears grow a little hotter. ‘Adores you.’ What a strange choice of words for his brother. He couldn’t imagine anyone adoring him, let alone Hypnos.

“He thinks you’re very cool,” Zagreus continued.

At that, Thanatos had to chuckle.

“Really?” This time he looked at Zagreus. “I am hardly… that.”

“No, you are,” Zagreus corrected him, leaning back in his chair with a smile. “Always with that cold expression, floating with that big scythe of yours. It’s hard not to be impressed.”

With the smile still softly curling his lips, Thanatos turned back to his cup and took another sip.

“Ridiculous.”

They chatted a bit more and Thanatos found himself to be a bit more relaxed when Zagreus left on his next try to escape the underworld. Thanatos didn’t really get it, the surface didn’t hold much for them, at least in his opinion. But he had his reasons, and Thanatos had a job to do.

He was about to leave when he decided to casually walk past Hypnos, perhaps to check in on Lord Hades and if he needed anything from him. But Hades’ chair was empty, and it was just Hypnos in the hallway. When his brother noticed him he got up a little straighter, but hadn’t been sleeping in the first place. He noticed his brother looking, and gave Thanatos a little nod and a hesitant smile.

He really did look normal. But Thanatos remembered the streaks of tears on his cheeks and his heart… His damn heart. Maybe he could work away his ache and stop thinking about this.

Naturally it wasn’t this easy. How could it be? It was another few days later when Thanatos stood in front of Hypnos’ door again. He listened carefully, and could faintly hear a soft snore. Despite himself, he found himself smiling. He remembered this sound, back when they shared a bed. It conjured comfortable memories that made him long for the embrace of a warm blanket and his brother.

He shifted through the door, rather than open it, and floated over what was a slightly smaller mess than last time. Again he sat by the bed, saw his brother more uncovered than last time. The blanket had been tossed aside and Hypnos was sprawled out on the bed. He had been wearing a small top that showed one nipple with the way it was pushed up, and only very short shorts that left little to the imagination.

Hypnos was pretty like this.

It wasn’t the first time he’s had this thought. Despite sleeping a lot, and seeming lazy, there was a grace about him. Their mother’s influence, he was sure. He had to think about what Zagreus had told him, that Hypnos supposedly adored him. Could that be true? It seemed hard to believe because Thanatos thought that way about Hypnos, and the two were so different.

When he looked down, he saw that his hand had been resting on Hypnos’ belly. The skin was soft, there was a bit of softness to him generally in that area.

Thanatos sighed. Again.

“You were doing well the other day,” he said softly. “Somehow… it’s easier to talk to you when you’re asleep.”

He laughed a little to himself, no humour behind it.

“I don’t know why it’s so hard…”

His hand wandered a little higher, resting on Hypnos’ chest. He watched the slow rise and fall of it. One nipple was close to his fingers, shimmering slightly rosy. His index finger briefly brushed against it. An accident, naturally.

“I didn’t like seeing you cry I-”

He had been the one to make him cry in the first place, though. Thanatos realised at that moment that he had never done that before. They had had their arguments, of course, all gods did. But never like this.

His hand was now cupping his cheek. Gaze looking at the ridiculous eyes drawn on the sleep mask.

“I adore you too, Hypnos,” he whispered. “You’re smarter than I ever gave you credit for and you’re… You’re beautiful.”

A memory flashed before his mind’s eye. A situation like this, long ago. Thanatos’ hand on Hypnos’ sleeping body. Another on his member, touching himself. As if struck by lightning the Thanatos now pulled back his hand, panting a little at the sudden memory. Had he really done that? Moreover, did he want it now?

The answer was clear to him, and so he pulled back with all his willpower. And just like that, he was gone again.

He had pushed that memory deep, deep down. To the point that it had been buried. But the desire he had felt back then had been buried as well. And with the creature he had seen just moments ago it all came crashing back. A creature that he desired. Hypnos.

With a red face he grabbed as much wine as he could carry and teleported himself to the deepest corner of Tartarus that he could find. Here he sat down to drink and think about what he had been doing. Hypnos… he didn’t know any of this. Neither the good or bad. And at least he deserved to hear the good, didn’t he? Why was this so hard for him?

Every day after that he tried to go up to Hypnos to tell him what he wanted to say. And every day he chickened out instead, criticising something else or telling him to keep doing his job. Hypnos was always smiling. For now there were no more streaks of tears on his cheeks.

And Thanatos knew… because he kept coming into Hypnos’ chambers when he was sleeping.

At first he would sit there, and talk to him. About the things he noticed about him, improvements in his job, how neat his lists were. Then things about him. How beautiful he thought he was, how if he was honest with himself all he really wanted to do was kiss him. Instead he just looked down and left for another day.

And then, every time after that, he touched him more. Just - what he told himself - were affectionate touches between brothers. _Hah, as if_ , his inner voice interjected. His conscious mind was fully aware that there was desire behind his actions. Caressing the soft skin of his belly. How he wanted to kiss it, and press his cheek to it.

Strangely it seemed Hypnos would always change these days for his naps. A very short top exposed his midriff, giving Thanatos easy access to caress him there. One time, the shorts he was wearing were pushed down, revealing nothing underneath except a thin white streak of some hairs. There was very little that was left to the imagination at this point.

It wasn’t like he hadn’t seen his brother naked before. It had just been a while. Thanatos swallowed as he watched his fingers trace the thin line of hair. Down and down it went, until there were the shorts, just barely covering his brother’s shame. All that was left was to go up again, tracing every line of his brother’s body, over his hips and back down. Oh how he wanted to see his backside too.

As if he could read minds, Hypnos sighed in his sleep - nothing unusual. But with a very slow movement, he turned around. His shorts slipped even more, and Thanatos was confronted with his brother’s perfect behind. Right there out in the open.

He was growing hard already. But he couldn’t do this… could he? Hypnos was a very deep sleeper, but surely even he would notice if he touched him more than this… At least he thought so. Then again, in all this time, Hypnos had never woken up, not even after moving like this.

The erection now made a tent out of his robes, and a wave of strong desire gripped him. He wouldn’t penetrate him - of course not. He would just… relieve himself a little. Hypnos would never know and so he would not have to feel bad about it either. His brother even had oils in his room, there would be no discomfort.

With a surprisingly steady hand Thanatos reached out for said oil, and mounted his brother from behind. Stopping every so often to see if Hypnos had noticed anything or was still asleep, he carefully pulled himself out, so hard it was almost painful. A little bit of oil he let trickle over it, some of it dripping down to land between his brother’s cheeks.

Thanatos had to bite on his tunic to not let it fall and get in the way, but also to not allow himself to make any noise. His hands carefully pulled Hypnos’ cheeks apart, revealing his hole… No, he couldn’t go that far, this was already bad. He would just…

A sigh still escaped his lips when Thanatos pushed his cock between his brother’s cheeks, letting them return and press against his throbbing member. With his hands he made sure they would put a little pressure on his cock, and started moving. Slowly at first, still conscious of his brother being fast asleep and knowing he could never wake him up for this. But after a while he lost a little control. His hips snapped harder and faster, feeling unfamiliar warmth deep in his crotch, and slowly travelling through his body.

He wasn’t even penetrating him and he felt this good! How would it be like if he really went further?

Very very quietly he cursed to himself. He could never do that. Never. Even this…

“By the gods,” he muttered. He was close already. Something about the heavy scent of his brother hanging in the air, and the way he felt pressing against his cock. It was all too much for him.

With that haze of lust around his head he leaned down, inhaling his scent where the curls of his hair ended, and his neck began. So close, he felt himself losing control, and pressed a kiss to the back of his neck.

“I love you,” he whispered.

Just as his hips snapped again, harder than he meant them to, Hypnos let out a little sigh. Almost a whimper. Thanatos’ eyes widened as the sound travelled right to his crotch, and for a moment he could swear that Hypnos was clenching around him. Before he could think what that meant, he bit on his lip to keep from groaning, as his seed shot over his brother’s back, leaving a trail almost to his neck.

Panting, he pulled back quickly, and looked at what he had done. This was bad. Really bad. Hypnos was _sleeping_. He wasn’t able to say yes to this! How much would he hate him if he found out…?

Hastily he scrambled to get himself cleaned up and tucked away, before he grabbed a random piece of fabric to clean up his brother. Thinking he caught all of it, he tossed it to what looked like a laundry pile and vanished away from this room.

He popped out in Elysium, where he found an empty spot and plunged his hands in the river Lethe. Maybe they would forget what he had done, maybe it could be washed away. It was a futile hope of course, he would never be affected by the river’s power. But he still tried to rub and wash what he had done away.

But he could never stop thinking about it. And Hypnos kept greeting him with that smile. One that seemed to have become even brighter, at least in Thanatos’ imagination.

“Hey Thanatos, look, I’m awake!,” he proclaimed as he passed him a few days later.

He couldn’t help but smile a little.

“Indeed you are, well done,” he said, sounding a little sarcastic, but… he meant it.

“The line is much shorter too!,” Hypnos pointed out.

The longer Thanatos watched him, the more that smile seemed… almost brittle. Like Hypnos wasn’t his usual happy self, like he wanted to point out that he had been doing better. And not in a sarcastic way. There it was again, the ache in his heart as he thought of Hypnos’ tears.

“And I hear that your reports have been much better lately,” he said. “Keep it up, okay?”

“I will!,” Hypnos said quickly, some confidence returning to his smile. “I work on them before and after my breaks too! In my room.”

Thanatos’ heart quickened at the mere mention of his room. He tried to remain calm.

“If you ever want to see,” Hypnos added.

“I… don’t need to watch you work, I trust you,” Thanatos said, but feeling suspicious at his brother’s words. It was such an odd thing to say.

“Oh well just saying. You know where my room is, if you want to come by, haha!”

Thanatos’ eyes widened just a little bit. Did he… know?!

“I- I certainly do I- … Have to go.”

Hypnos wasn’t able to say anything else before his brother vanished before his eyes. Thanatos’ head was swimming. If he did know, did he want to confront him in his chambers? From what he had learned about his brother recently, it would make sense that he had enough tact not to do it in front of everybody else. He was good like that.

But what would he say? Did he want to sever ties with him? The thought made something constrict around his chest, made it hard to breathe. If only he hadn’t been such a coward, and had said all these things while he had been awake. Touched him while he had been awake. Maybe Hypnos would have wanted them. Just maybe. It would have been better than this.

No matter what Hypnos was going to say, Thanatos had to face the consequences of his actions. He steeled himself to go there a little while later, knowing Hypnos’ rhythm by now. But nothing would have prepared him for the sight he ended up seeing. Not an angry Hypnos, no disappointment in his eyes. No, a sleeping Hypnos, naked save for the sleep mask over his eyes. And there was… a pillow under his hips.

What in the Styx?!

“Hypnos?,” he said it in a normal voice, so that Hypnos would definitely hear him. But he didn’t move, didn’t get up. Just a slight shift as was normal when he was sleeping. “Hypnos what are you doing?”

There was still no response, even when Thanatos sat by his side like he had done so many times, and put a hand on his back. The skin seemed to be even softer today, and his gaze naturally wandered to that lovely backside that was displayed so prominently. It was… glistening?

Swallowing hard, Thanatos let his hand caress his brother’s skin again, moving towards those cheeks and dipping between them. He was indeed slicked up, so slick it would be so easy to push a finger into him…

Hypnos’ insides were warm and pliant, and Thanatos could easily insert another finger. Had Hypnos prepared himself for him? Thought of him as he slicked himself up? Did he know and wanted this to go further… but why wasn’t he awake?

It finally dawned on him. His brother liked this. What if… what if he had known about this for months? Knew everything Thanatos had told him… He was the god of sleep after all, who was to say he was entirely unconscious?

With shaking hands he undressed himself completely this time, and pushed aside a mountain of blankets to have full access to his brother. If he was aware on some level, then he wanted to do this right. Hypnos’ face was turned to the side, so he leaned in to kiss his cheek. And waited. Still no movement.

Hesitantly he leaned in again, and kissed his lips. They were soft, like everything else about him, and he reached to cup the back of his head, finding his hands in the equally soft curls.

Oh how sweet his brother tasted. He almost wished he wasn’t asleep. Almost. There was still a part of him that had such difficulty talking about his true feelings for him and this… made it easier. Maybe Hypnos knew.

He pulled back to shift and kiss one delicate shoulder. It was only then that he realised there were faint freckles here. How had he never noticed this? He decided to kiss them all and remember them before exploring more of Hypnos’ back. He wasn’t as muscular as he was, but he had always liked that about his brother. The… softness, not just of his body but of his personality. That stupid little laugh he did… Thinking about it made Thanatos smile.

He continued to explore slowly, whatever part of him he could reach. Gently pushing his legs apart gave him access to the inside of his thigh, and he noticed that pushed down, there was Hypnos’ erection too. Just from kissing him? He let his tongue drag over it, closing his eyes to inhale the musky scent down here, mixed with a gentle fragrance of the oil.

Thanatos’ entire body shuddered with the thought of what he was about to do, all those things he could still do if he only managed to get Hypnos like this when he was awake. One of these days he wanted Hypnos to be active together with him, to show that he really wanted this.

If there was still a doubt in Thanatos’ mind, it had been pushed away by his desire. Once he was sufficiently lost in it, he sat up again, his hand still shaking as he shifted to a position that was familiar to him. His cock slid easily between the slicked up cheeks, it didn’t even take much for his tip to vanish inside his brother. Thanatos had to hold back a whimper at the feeling of him.

He wanted to relish this. Pulling Hypnos’ cheeks apart again he had a full view of everything. Very slowly, he pushed into him.

“Ahh…,” he could not help but let out a soft moan at the feeling.

He was plunging into something so warm, and something so slick, something he had never experienced before. He couldn’t stop before he had pressed all the way into this most delicious feeling, and he couldn’t move anymore. Hypnos took him so easily. It was very impressive.

His breathing was coming in bursts now, simply entering his brother overwhelmed him. Hypnos still did not seem to move at all - but then he felt it. His brother tightened around him!

“Hypnos?,” Thanatos asked again.

No movement. Only a small sigh. Thanatos couldn’t take it anymore, and pulled on the sleep mask. It came off… and revealed closed eyes. Not a bit of movement. Nothing at all. Fascinating.

“Curses…”

With the way his brother felt, he could become addicted to him. Looking down again to where they were joined, Thanatos started thrusting. Slow at first, wanting to see his cock slide in and out of his brother, as his breath became more ragged. Finally he couldn’t take it anymore and set his hands by the side of Hypnos’ body for more leverage.

Now he could finally properly fuck into him. Slow and steady wasn’t enough anymore, he wanted so badly to come inside his brother and he was out of patience. His thrusts became rougher with every moment he felt Hypnos so tight and warm and slick around him. Became so hard that the sound of flesh against flesh filled the room, and he was softly panting into Hypnos’ ear.

His brother seemed to become even tighter then, though it hardly seemed possible. Voluntary or not, Thanatos briefly wondered if others could take him as easily as he did now. Could there be a potential line of suitors Hypnos had in the House of Hades? An image of Lord Hades himself stepping into Hypnos’ room to relieve himself from all the pent up stress and anger flashed in his mind.

He did not like it. And he did not care if Hypnos woke up. Grasping his brother’s left thigh he pushed it up, shifting more to the side to fuck into him that way.

“I’m going… to come in you, brother,” Thanatos told him. “I’m going to make you mine.”

Another sigh escaped Hypnos’ lips. He took it as a ‘yes’. Closing his eyes for a moment he concentrated on how his brother felt around him, how his heat almost seemed to melt him. But he was as hard as ever, harder even after having started fucking him. He knew he was close now, and wondered if his brother could come too.

Reaching around him, he felt his brother’s cock already leaking, apparently just as turned on as he was. He had to know… if he would come just from him?

“You feel so good,” Thanatos mumbled more to himself than Hypnos. “Come with me. Come with-”

It overwhelmed him rather suddenly, this sharp spike of pleasure that ran down his spine and spread in his crotch and chest. For a brief moment he closed his eyes to relish this feeling, to imagine his seed spilling deep inside his brother. But then he did see it. How Hypnos had come too, staining his bedsheets.

The tension left Thanatos’ body and he fell on the bed by Hypnos’ side, pulling him close. For a moment that’s how they stayed, Hypnos still sleeping peacefully while Thanatos’ heart seemed to be fluttering in his chest. A moment turned into minutes, and then an hour, until Hypnos finally started to really shift in his sleep.

A cute yawn, stretching his body in Thanatos’ embrace, and his eyes slowly fluttered open.

“Oh finally,” he said when he noticed who was holding him. Thanatos blushed.

“What does that mean?,” he found himself going on the defence again, but tried to remind himself that he wanted to change.

“You’ve been talking to me for so long, touching me haha… I thought you were going to do this sooner.” Hypnos hummed to himself, eyes closed for a moment when his hand then rested on his belly. “Feels so good…”

“You did hear me then? Knew what I was doing?”

“Kinda,” Hypnos admitted. “Some words I could just remember when I woke up, but every time you touched me it was like my skin burned.”

“Uhm.” Thanatos did not know what to say to that.

“In a good way,” Hypnos added. “I love you too, silly death.”

The words had taken him by surprise, and Hypnos evidently found his expression very amusing. That cute giggle came out again, and Thanatos relaxed again.

“You can always come to talk to me in my sleep, big brother,” Hypnos whispered. “I don’t mind if you can’t say things now.”

Thanatos swallowed. Though he was glad Hypnos really did want this, he was still nervous. Why was he just so damn nervous?!

“I want to say them though,” he replied. He made sure Hypnos was watching him properly first, then couldn’t help but kiss him again. Hypnos’ tongue somehow tasted like honey. How…?

“Hypnos I… I’m proud of you. You understand?”

Hypnos seemed to always have a smile. The only time he could remember when he didn’t was when he had been crying all those months ago. And now. An expression of complete surprise occupied his face for a few moments before that smile returned, even bigger than before.

“Oh!,” was all he said before he kissed Thanatos again.

“Hypnos…,” Thanatos whispered against his lips.

“Hm?”

“This… Sleep sex thing. Does anyone else…?”

“Haha, no! Silly!,” Hypnos said with a giggle. “I wouldn’t want anyone but my big brother come inside my asshole!”

“Ugh, why do you have to say it like that?!,” Thanatos rolled his eyes and pushed him away.

Hypnos only giggled more, and snuggled up to him again. A small smile curled on Thanatos’ lips once more.

“You looooove me anyway,” Hypnos sing-songed.

Thanatos had to give in. He pulled him close again and ruffled his hair, like they had done so many times when they were younger.

“Good, you’re mine then.”

As if to prove his point, Thanatos kissed him once more.

**Author's Note:**

> I have a [ Twitter](http://twitter.com/valkyrieshepard), and don't worry I'll still continue the Zagreus series!


End file.
